Best Places to Get a CM Punk Wallpaper or CM Punk T Shirt

Collectibles lovers who want gear related to Mr. 'Best in the World' are in luck. The online universe is full of places to get a classic or current CM Punk T Shirt, CM Punk Wallpaper, CM Punk action figure, and related media. Besides his own official store or site, or the WWE merchandising page, here are a few of the best "Punk store' alternatives at this time at this time:

Wallpaper Cave. This page has a number of 2015 wallpapers, including fantasy posters for matches that never happened (we don't think there was ever a Santino vs Punk match for the world title, ever). The collection is also useful to see all the different visual looks Punk has sported over the course of his evolution as a multi-sport athlete.

HD Wallpaper Smart. Many classic and high definition posters covering the entire Punk era in the wrestling world, into his MMA phase. For those who don't want to encounter low rez or grainy images in their Punk shopping.

eBay. The auction site's store is a remarkably good place to find many Punk related t shirts and hoodies, MMA shirts or cool action figures, often for lower prices than those offered at the 'official' stores.

A caveat, and kind of warning: Be careful about how loudly you promote Punk gear or messages at a WWE date near you. WWE is currently sticking to a “No CM Punk” policy at live events.

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Punk: UFC Emperor Has No MMA Clothes

In one of the biggest CM Punk quotes of all time, Mr. Straight Edge dropped a pipe bomb impacting both wrestlingfigures and the mixed martial arts training world alike, when he announced what amounts to saying 'the UFC Emperor has no MMA clothes'--i.e., that MMA is really pro wrestling. As reported in MMA Mania:

Well, I've got some bad news for the just-bleeders in our crowd, particularly those who despise pro wrestling.

MMA is pro wrestling.

That's according to former WWE Champion CM Punk, who pulled the curtain back for Wisconsin's WISports (via MMA Fighting). After all, how else do you think an ex-pro wrassler with zero mixed martial arts (MMA) experience can sign a contract with the world's preeminent combat sports promotion?

His words:

"I think MMA is pro wrestling. If you go back to the early 1900's and the whole genesis of professional wrestling, and then you go back to the early beginnings of MMA, it was all pro wrestlers. The characters, the action, the media, the mouths. There's a reason people are interested in this, whether it's good or it's bad, whether they love me or they hate me. I've talked [Brock Lesnar] and he's offered all his help, even if it's just bug him with a stupid question. It's cool to know he supports me. He's a good guy to know."

P.T. Barnum would be proud.

Punk is expected to make his Octagon debut later this year. In the meantime, the man once mistaken for a short-order cook at the local Waffle House will be training under the tutelage of famed MMA trainer Duke Roufus, who knows a thing or two about producing champions.

That said, anyone taking issue with Punk's assessment?

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CM Punk Best in the World DVD One of the 'Best WWE Videos Ever'

Critical reception of the CM Punk Best in the World DVD remains high in the wrestling media, as the below curated review excerpt from Bleacher Report shows. The CM Punk DVD covers circumstances behind his rise within the industry, including his WWE controversies (prior to those behind his 2014 departure), and the iconic Punk merch, from 'Best in the World' products to MMA shirts.

...Running 109 minutes, this is easily one of the best WWE documentaries ever, if not the best. Off the top of my head, only The Rise and Fall of ECW and Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart (which is more of a sit-down interview than a traditional documentary) are up there in terms of how engaging and honest they are.

In general, it's just completely different from most WWE documentaries. Punk's backyard and independent wrestling days are covered extensively with footage from IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor.

The graphics, music (Punk made sure that artists he likes such as The Bouncing Souls would be featured instead of "crappy bands like Switchfoot"), and editing are much different from what WWE usually comes up with.

One thing that makes this documentary unique that's not directly related to Punk is that it provides a much more detailed look at WWE's talent development and creative processes than anything they've put out in the past.

In one segment that I found especially revealing, SmackDown head writer Michael Hayes gives a legitimately compelling argument for why wrestlers favored by Paul Heyman have historically been stigmatized by the company.

Back to Punk...

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Do CM Punk Photos Reveal He's Losing Too Much Weight?

Fans are split over whether the most recent CM Punk photos (recording his progress in preparing to become an MMA fighter) show he has lost more weight than needed. The iconic wrestling world figure now looks quite lean compared to his WWE days, in his attempt to get down to 170 pounds to qualify for the UFC's middleweight class, leading some to wonder whether it's too much. Here are some random web comments on Punk's change:

"Man forget about Welterweight, Punk looks like he should be fighting a Lightweight. He looks a lot skinnier then when he was in WWE. Sorry for stating the obvious about him being skinny. I'm just shocked...."

"He's gonna die. This is gonna be sad. Hopefully Dana White can scour the sub-earth of bum fighting on Skid Row to get some tough looking drunks to put in against Punk so he can build up a good rep against tomato cans for a while, at least...."

"He needs to hit the weights. You can tell he doesn't lift. He is a former world champ and at 6'0 230 lbs. I would make this guy look like a mouse next to an elephant. A bit of weight lifting every day can change your whole appearance."

"I don't know how I feel about Punk anymore.I want him to succeed because he stands up for himself but I also want him to get destroyed because I'm just tired of hearing about him."

"He's over six feet tall trying to make weight at 170 lbs. his size in on par with where it should be. Think about the size Nick Diaz is at that weight. In a side note I thought that his chest was noticeably smaller. Might be the same deal with making weight."

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Heyman on CM Punk and UFC

Paul Heyman on the current circumstances of C Punk, mix martial arts and wrestling. Curated from MMA News:

CM Punk’s former on-air manager and longtime real-life friend, WWE performer Paul Heyman, recently spoke about Punk’s mindset heading into his UFC debut.

Heyman appeared on the “Stone Cold Podcast” with WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the WWE Network last week and talked about CM Punk leaving the squared circle to enter the Octagon.

“I don’t think money is the motivating factor in CM Punk’s life whatsoever. I think it’s the challenge to do this,” said Heyman. “This is something he’s been eyeballing since he was a kid, and I think he looks back and he probably regrets not getting into it five or six years earlier, but this was the time to pull the trigger on it.”

Heyman continued, “I think he firmly believes he is either going to step in that Octagon and shock everybody by beating somebody’s ass, or he’s going to get punched in the face and knocked out or tapped out and beat up, and I think that he’s very accepting of the fact that that’s a possibility. He’s man enough to walk in there and take his chances.”

As things stand now, there is no specific date or location for Punk’s first fight in the UFC, however both the UFC and Punk have insisted it will be at the end of 2015.

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CM Punk Interview on His Mixed Martial Arts Training

Joe Rogan conducted this CM Punk interview to give the ex-wrestler (?) the chance to explain his mixed martial arts training prior to entering into battle in the UFC:

Rogan: …But your wrestling days are over. You have decided to enter the Octagon, and fight mixed martial arts professionally.

Punk: Well I’d say my professional wrestling days are over, (but) I’m sure Im going to have to do plenty of wrestling in there. Ah, it’s awesome to be here—it’s very awesome to be here.

Rogan:  How long---I know you’ve been training with Rener Gracie for quite a while. I know you’ve been around the UFC for quite a while---how long have you been contemplating this, and what ultimately motivated your decision?

Punk: This has been something that’s been on my mind for a very, very long time. I have a background in kempo, I’ve done Brazilian jujitsu off and on for a very, very long time. But the idea of being able to step into the Octagon, and find out what’s inside myself, and test myself, is an opportunity I am not able to deny myself. I don’t think I would have been able to live with myself if I didn’t give this a shot.

Rogan:  So is this something that, watching guys like Brock Lesnar become very successful in the UFC, seeing all the fights, watching it live, you just felt like, it’s now or never. You only have a certain amount of time in this life.

Punk: Yeah, I mean it felt it was now or never about three years ago. I resigned with the WWE, and gave it the old college try, and it is now or never for me. I have a limited window, just like all fighters do, so I fully intend to get in there. I’m here for a fight, to either get my ass kicked, or to kick somebody’s ass.

Rest is at : https://youtu.be/eCViiT9-7DY

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CM Punk Merchandise Still Popular, Years After WWE

It's been two years and counting since he left pro wrestling following the 2014 Royal Rumble, but CM Punk merchandise remains popular both online and offline. The WWE still maintains a page devoted to Punk media on its official site, and Punk's own site features a host of merch celebrating his past and current endeavors, from posters to MMA clothes, to the CM Punk action figure, and other items.

This is curious considering CMPunk has done little speaking on wrestling lately, and may be said to be promoting hockey more, considering his recent flap with wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. Punk, a Chicago Black Hawks devotee, castigated Hogan (a Tampa bay Lightning fan) during the Stanley Cup Finals as being a "hack" and a "piece of garbage."

It's not clear if the at times heated exchamge between the two wasn't just a tease to push a future Punk-Hogan match, or other staged event, but it's clear mr. Straight Edge was not doing it to push CM Punk merchandise, which continues to do well without publicity stunts. Many fans account for the durability of the demand for Punk media by saying it shows his legacy to the industry is stronger than the WWE marketing machine. Fans predict a further pick up in merch sales once Punk's new career in MMA leads to achievements.

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